The 2021 World Rally Championship, which will have 12 rounds, begins today with the classic Rallye Monte-Carlo. The oldest event on the WRC calendar will celebrate its 110th anniversary with this year’s edition.
Over that time, the rally has formed a reputation as one of the most demanding in the world due to the unpredictable, wintery conditions in the French Alps, bringing ice and snow to the asphalt roads. This usually makes tyre selection an important element of the event and this year, the crews will be choosing from new tyres supplied by Pirelli, which commences its 4-year agreement with the FIA as exclusive tyre provider to the leading competitors.
Changes due to pandemic
While the challenge remains as tough as usual, there are a number of changes for this year’s Rallye Monte-Carlo as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions in the area. There will be no Shakedown before the rally begins, with two stages to the north of the Service Park in Gap. Tomorrow takes the competitors to the west for a loop of 3 new stages, beginning in the early hours of the day, with the first two runs then repeated in the afternoon.
On Saturday, the start takes place before dawn and there will be 3 stages before the crews drive south to Monaco, ready for Sunday’s finale. The final leg takes place further west than in recent years following severe flooding last October, meaning no trip to the iconic Col de Turini. Briançonnet – Entrevaux instead hosts the rally-ending Power Stage as one of two runs which will take place twice on Sunday.
The teams and drivers
6 weeks after claiming his seventh world title at the 2020 season-closing Rally Monza, Frenchman Sebastien Ogier will be first off the line. Ogier will be targeting a seventh WRC victory on Rallye Monte-Carlo in 8 years. He will again be driving a Toyota Yaris WRC, now in its fifth consecutive season – the last before new technical regulations are introduced to the championship in 2022. However, there will still be some optimisation which will be introduced during 2021.
So far, the car has achieved 17 victories in the WRC (winning over one-third of the events it has taken part in) and 322 stage wins. After the Manufacturers’ title of 2018, it has brought Toyota two consecutive Drivers’ and Co-drivers’ crowns, in 2019 and 2020.
Thierry Neuville, who last year interrupted Ogier’s winning run in Monte Carlo, leads the Hyundai Shell Mobis team assault together with the 2019 champion Ott Tanak. Dani Sordo makes his first Monte start since 2018 in the third Hyundai i20 WRC.
M-Sport Ford is entering two Ford Fiesta WRC rallycars with Gus Greensmith and Teemu Suninen as drivers. The 2C Competition team has Pierre-Louis Loubet in a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC, while Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta also embarks on his first full season in an additional fourth Toyota Yaris WRC.
5 brands in WRC2
An expanded FIA WRC2 field of 8 cars for the opening round of the season features 5 different manufacturers of Rally2 cars. Regular category drivers – France’s Adrien Fourmaux in a Ford Fiesta Mk II, Russia’s Nicolay Gryazin in a Volkswagen Polo GTI, Bolivia’s Marco Bulacia in a Skoda Fabia Evo – are joined by Sweden’s Oliver Solberg on a Hyundai NG i20 or France’s Eric Camilli driving a Citroen C3. Eleven more crews, led by Frenchmen Nicolas Ciamin and Yohan Rossel in Citroen C3s, are entered into FIA WRC3.
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The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic forced governments to put their countries into lockdown, which meant that industries and businesses had to close. Malaysia didn’t escape the economic downturn that resulted, though good management at the start helped to bring the numbers down and the situation under control. This allowed the country’s economic sector to restart and slowly recover, aided by a recovery program which covered many sectors.
For the Malaysia auto industry in modern times, 2020 was the worst year in its history which goes back to the 1960s when the first local assembly of vehicles began. There had been a few recessions but even though they were challenging with a contraction of the market, there wasn’t a total shutdown as was experienced last year. Activities could still continue and each company had its own strategy to weather the downturn, which veterans knew would pass. And while there was loss of jobs, there wasn’t the fear of death or sickness too.
PENJANA was a big help
The PENJANA program by the government to help the economy recover began in the middle of the year and for the auto industry, the support given was in the form of exemption of the 10% sales tax, reducing the price at point of purchase. It was a straightforward incentive – 100% of the tax for models assembled locally (CKD), 50% for those imported CBU (completed built up).
The incentive worked well as sales quickly rose and stayed above 50,000 units a month during the second half of the year. In fact, the final quarter was exceptionally strong, averaging 61,373 units a month compared to 53,765 units a month for the quarter before.
All data and charts provided by Malaysian Automotive Association.
Consistently high numbers in second half
Nevertheless, the Total Industry Volume (TIV) for 2020 was expected to be lower than the 604,281 units recorded in 2019 and in the first half of the year, many would have expected it to be significantly lower. However, with the consistently high numbers in the second half of the year, the TIV closed at 529,434 units, 12% lower than 2019 but well past the forecast of 470,000 made by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).
However, when the year had started, the MAA had actually forecast 607,000 units for the year, but revised it substantially downwards by 23% as the seriousness of the pandemic and its impact on the industry became clear.
The monthly TIV reached its peak in December 2020 when a total of 68,836 units were registered. The exceptional high TIV in December 2020 was due to consumers buying forward in anticipation that the tax exemption incentive (only for passenger vehicles) expiring on December 31, 2020, as original announced. However, it has been extended to June 30,2021.
“MAA would like to express our heartfelt and sincere appreciations to the government in general and the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of International Trade & Industry in particular for listening to the industry’s plights and providing us with all the supports (especially the PENJANA package incentive) to ensure the continuance of business activities and the survival of the industry,” said Datuk Aishah Ahmad, President of the MAA.
By segment, passenger vehicles (excluding pick-ups) declined by 12.6%, which was higher than for commercial vehicles (including pick-ups) which declined by 10.4% Production of new vehicles in 2020 seemed to be impacted by the forced shutdown of every factory in the country for about 2 months but when allowed to resume operations, the carmakers worked harder to meet not only outstanding orders (for high-volume brands like Perodua and Proton) but also increasing demand in the second half of the year. By year-end, the production volume was 15% lower than the output in 2019.
Total Production Volumes in 2020 and 2019.
Looking ahead
As always, the MAA takes feedback from its members and also factors in economic and environmental situations when looking ahead. It is optimistic that 2021 will see the local economy recovering in tandem with the global economy, which can boost sales. Certainly, the continuation of the sales tax exemption will help, along with more consumer confidence to spend on items like new vehicles.
Lower hire purchase (H-P) interest rates will also help, complemented by the introduction of new models which the companies will be offering at prices that will be ‘in tune’ with the times. While the industry may have come to a standstill in one sense, activities continued behind the scenes and whatever projects were underway would have only been slightly delayed.
So, for 2021, the MAA is forecasting an increase of 100,000 units from its 2020 forecast, which is 8% higher than the actual TIV achieved. Strong growth (18%) is expected in the commercial vehicle segment which will continue to require vehicles for the various projects underway around the country.
Looking further ahead, it appears that the MAA expects the strong demand to continue into 2022 with an increase of 6% to take the TIV past 600,000 units again. Thereafter, from 2023 – 2025, growth will be at a slower rate of 3% to 3.2% annually. Hopefully, the pandemic will have diminished significantly and normalcy has returned.
Mercedes-Benz continues its roll-out of its all-electric EQ range, which will total 10 models by 2022, with the unveiling of the EQA. The ‘A’ indicates its entry-level positioning in the big Mercedes-Benz family, and it is considered a member of the compact car line although it has a dedicated electric powertrain.
Besides being built in Germany, from which European dealerships will soon get their units, the EQA will also be built in China. The first version, the EQA 250, will be sold in Germany at prices from 47,540.50 euros (about RM233,000) with various rebates being available from the government and also the manufacturer.
The EQA 250 has a ‘double-decker’ lithium-ion battery pack which sits as a structural element within the underbody of the vehicle. In order to meet the low levels of noise and vibration expected from the brand, complex damping measures have been taken to isolate the electric powertrain from the chassis and body.
The battery pack has an energy content of 66.5 kWh and a stated combined electric consumption of 15.7 kWh/100 kms, and a claimed range of 486 kms. Further variants to meet specific customer requirements will follow. These will include all-wheel-drive with an additional electric powertrain, and, for those wanting range, a version that will go more than 500 kms.
Charging management
At home or at public charging points, the on-board charger provides a convenient way of charging the EQA with up to 11 kW using alternating current (AC). The charging time required for a full charge depends on the available infrastructure and the country-specific vehicle equipment. Charging at a Mercedes-Benz Wallbox would be considerably faster than at a domestic power socket. Faster speeds can be achieved at direct current (DC) rapid charging stations. Here, the EQA can be charged with a maximum output of up to 100 kW from 10% – 80% in around 30 minutes.
Electro-aesthetics
The EQA features the black panel radiator grille with the central star, which will be used for all EQ models. A further distinctive design feature of the all-electric vehicles is the continuous light strip at front and rear. A horizontal fibreoptic strip connects the daytime running lights of the full-LED headlamps, ensuring a high level of recognisability both in daylight and at night. Blue colour highlights within the headlamp reinforce the signature Mercedes-EQ appearance.
The LED tail lamps merge seamlessly into the tapered LED light strip, thus underlining the impression of width in the rear view of the EQA. The licence plate has also been relocated to the bumper. Exclusive to this model are light-alloy wheels in a bi or tri-colour design, up to 20 inches in size, in some cases with rosé gold-coloured or blue decorative trim.
Efficiency the key factor
The frontal area totals 2.47 square metres, contributing to a Cd of 0.28. Aerodynamic measures adopted include the completely closed cooling air control system in the upper section, the aerodynamically efficient front and rear aprons, a very smooth, almost completely enclosed underbody, specially optimised Aero wheels and specifically adapted front and rear wheel spoilers.
An indication of the electric character in the interior of the EQA is provided by a new-style back-lit trim element and rose gold-coloured decorative trim on the ventilation outlets, seats and the vehicle key. The Edition 1 special model additionally features perforated leather seats, through which blue fabric can be seen. The instruments, with their electric car-specific displays, pick up on the same colour scheme with rose gold-coloured and blue highlights.
The seating position is high and upright, as is typical for an SUV – making it not only comfortable for getting in and out, but also good in terms of all-round visibility. Utility value was one of the general focuses during development and as with most SUVs, the rear seat backrests are divided 40:20:40 and can fold down to vary cargo volume and floor length.
The standard heat pump forms part of the sophisticated thermal management system. With its numerous innovative details, such as the reuse of the waste heat from the electric drive system, the system is configured for exceptional efficiency and thus maximum range.
Latest MBUX with EV-specific features
Included as standard is, of course, the intuitively operated MBUX infotainment system (Mercedes-Benz User Experience). MBUX, with a powerful computer system, can be individually configured with the help of various options. It has learning software and voice control activated by the keyword ‘Hey Mercedes’, and options such as a full-colour head-up display, navigation with augmented reality,
The Mercedes-EQ tile in the media display can be used to call up menus relating to charging options, electrical consumption and energy flow. The right-hand display within the instrument cluster is a wattmeter rather than a tachometer. The upper section shows the percentage of power used, the lower section the recuperation. The left-hand instrument can be used to show whether the destination can be reached without an interim charging stop.
The colours change according to the driving situation. During a boost process, for example, the display changes to white. Depending on mood, or to match the particular interior, the user has a choice of four different styles.
In conjunction with Mercedes me, the URBAN GUARD Vehicle Protection and URBAN GUARD Vehicle Protection Plus enable all-round monitoring of the parked vehicle, including its location. If the service is active, the driver is informed via the Mercedes me App not only if the vehicle is being removed (as in being stolen) but also the severity of parking damage and in which area of the vehicle it occurred. In the case of the latter, the vehicle sensors register when the parked and locked vehicle is bumped.
Driving assistance systems
It goes without saying that the EQA would have a comprehensive range of intelligent driving assistance systems and these have cooperative driver support. The enhanced functions of the Driving Assistance Package include a turning manoeuvre function, emergency corridor function, exit warning function (alerting the driver to approaching cyclists or vehicles), and a warning when pedestrians are detected near zebra crossings.
Included as standard on board are Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Brake Assist. In many situations, the purpose of the latter is to prevent a collision by autonomous braking, or to mitigate its consequences. The system is also able to brake for stationary vehicles and crossing pedestrians at typical city speeds and even to prevent collisions, depending on the situation.
Partial autonomous mode
In certain situations, the EQA is able to drive in partially automated mode. To do this, it keeps a close eye on the traffic situation. Improved camera and radar systems allow it to see far ahead, adjusting the cruising speed when necessary to ensure a safe gap.
The EQA also uses map and navigation data for assistance functions. For example, Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC as part of the optional Driving Assistance Package is able to provide route-based support to the driver in numerous situations, and to predictively and conveniently adjust the speed, eg when approaching bends, junctions or roundabouts. In doing so, it interacts with ECO Assist.
“Mercedes-EQ aspires to take the lead in the field of electric drive systems and vehicle software. To this end, we have defined some ambitious product development goals and resolved to push forward with the accelerated market introduction of new technologies,” said Markus Schafer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG; responsible for Daimler Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars COO.
“The new EQA allows us to show the way we envisage e-mobility as tailored to the needs of our customers. It proves that, by using a tried and tested architecture, it is possible to achieve an excellent compromise between performance, costs and time to market,” he said.
While the Dubai police force has gained fame for having a number of supercars in its fleet, there is no car industry of significance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, there is a company there which personalises and refines cars for the supercar owners. Its name is Huber and it recently showcased a project that pays tribute to Lamborghini Aventador which celebrates its tenth anniversary.
Called ‘ERA’, the supercar has a new kind of aero package, and the team aspires to usher in a new way that automotive design thinks about the aftermarket. Basically, the company’s version has front and rear bumpers with an entirely new design in carbonfibre, and an optional carbonfibre bonnet as well. Additionally, the parts will be available in exposed carbonfibre in various colours.
“While we might be the new kid on the block, we feel that when designing new aero packages for a car, you have to consider both a clean sheet of paper and the North Star of its pre-existing DNA as your guide,” said founder Sean-Peter Huber who, like many in his team, have a background in automotive design. This new generation of designers is driven by the common understanding that the aftermarket can apply new aesthetic elements and functionalities to the techniques of carmakers’ design studios to create a new, improved rendition on some of the world’s most revered supercars.
The fully funded project has nothing to do with Lamborghini and production is complete with first bumper units already promised to select Aventador owners worldwide. Prices are not mentioned but it is obviously the beginning of a new business venture for the company.
It’s not known how long Huber has been in existence although its website says that ‘Huber’s founding mission was to give rise to one-off designs, over the years, the company has developed and evolved a diverse design collection ready for production’.
“The team aims to get many of these designs on the road,” Huber explained, “and the ERA is just the beginning of a range of designs we wish to bring to fruition”. They aim to build a new community of collectors and car enthusiasts who will appreciate professional automotive design in the aftermarket business.
The Aventador as it was when Lamborghini launched it in 2011.
In the late 1990s, Chrysler and Daimler merged (at least that’s what the German side called the union, although it was not really so) and created a ‘mega corporation’ in the auto industry. The move had a significant impact on the industry, beginning a rush of consolidations as companies realised that big numbers were vital for survival.
But within just 3 years of the creation of DaimlerChrysler, Chrysler was losing US$3 billion each year and cultural differences didn’t help in the trans-Atlantic marriage either. The Daimler people felt that their way was best for corporate culture, and of course, that created friction. In the end, the two sides parted company in 2007 and Chrysler rebuilt itself.
7 years later, Chrysler again ‘re-married’, and again, it was a European partner – the Fiat Group. The merger created the FCA Group with all the brands from Fiat (except Ferrari) coming together with Chrysler’s Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep and Ram Trucks brands.
Merger negotiations began in 2019
Though operating more globally then if Chrysler stayed single, FCA still faced strong competition and in 2019, FCA announced that it would merge with Groupe PSA on a 50:50 basis. With the need to gain approval from regulators and then the restrictions caused by the pandemic, the completion of the merger took a while and has finally taken place.
The merged entity is known as Stellantis, which we are told comes from the Latin word ‘stello’, and means ‘to brighten with stars’. The name will be used exclusively at the group level as a corporate brand, while the individual companies will continue to use their existing brands.
The company’s total workforce of 400,000 employees will be managed by an 11-member Board of Directors that has the grandson of Giovanni Agnelli (who headed Fiat from 1966 – 2003) as Chairman, John P.J. Elkann. The one who will run the show will be CEO Carlos Tavares, who has been heading Groupe PSA. Like Toyota’s Akio Toyoda, Tavares, who worked with Carlos Ghosn in the Renault-Nissan Alliance, is also a racing driver.
Carlos Tavares, the CEO of the new company, is a real car-guy and like Akio Toyoda, he also goes racing!
Auto industry pioneers in group
Stellantis will leverage the strengths of the two groups to design, develop, manufacture, distribute and sell vehicles and mobility solutions around the world. Both companies have roots that go back to the early days of the auto industry; Dodge started in 1900 while Peugeot produced its first car in 1889. So there is a long heritage to boast of, which may or may not prove useful in this age of ‘disruptors’ coming into the industry.
The number of brands is certainly quite extensive with Groupe PSA having brands like Peugeot, Citroen, Opel, Vauxhall (and might have had Proton too but Geely won the pitch instead). It’s the second time that PSA is involved with Chrysler as back in the late 1970s, it bought over Chrysler Europe for US$1 + debts.
FCA and Groupe PSA have a combined portfolio of many brands that cover virtually every segment of the global market.
The brands in Stellantis cover the full spectrum of market segments from luxury, premium and mainstream passenger vehicles to pick-up trucks, SUVs and light commercial vehicles. As with most of the major carmakers, there are also mobility, finance and parts and service brands.
Global reach and synergies
Stellantis sees itself as starting from a position of considerable strength, claiming leading positions in North America, Europe and Latin America. It expects synergies to be the key to growth and further success. Besides a well-established presence in Europe, North America and Latin America through different brands, it aims to tap potential markets such as China, Africa, the Middle East, Oceania and India. By the end of 2021, it plans to have at least 39 electrified vehicles available in its range.
The group will have at least 39 electrified models by the end of next year.
Commenting on the Stellantis’ journey ahead, Tavares said: “One year after we announced this project, Stellantis is born, notwithstanding the unprecedented societal and economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This demonstrates the agility, creativity and adaptability of our company, which aims to be great rather than big, determined to be much more than the sum of its parts. It is also a further signal of the new company’s determination to be a leading player in the automotive industry in this ever-changing environment. Stellantis is dedicated to ‘pursuing greatness’ and enhancing the well-being of its employees.”
Those who have driven the new Toyota GR Yaris have nothing but praises for it, impressed by its handling and power. It’s a ‘Homologation Special’ which means it’s ready to be used for international motorsports competition – mainly rallies – right out of the showroom.
To satisfy homologation requirements by the FIA (the body which governs international motorsports), a manufacturer must produce at least 25,000 units of the model in identical form. Toyota, with its resources and also the enthusiastic support of a President who is a racing driver, decided to do this, and enthusiasts around the world have been delighted.
The 25,000 units are built at the same plant that made the Lexus LFA and exported globally for sale. The exceptional demand for the GR Yaris has also been evident in some countries. In Australia, for example, 1,000 units were sold within just one week.
For the Malaysian market, less than 200 units were imported by UMW Toyota Motor and they are now all sold out.
Development of the GR Yaris has used all the experience gained from competing in the World Rally Championship.
Potential great for Malaysian market
“When we were informed of the new Toyota GR Yaris by Toyota Motor Corporation, we knew it would have great potential in the Malaysian market, especially with the increasing motorsport and motorsport-related activities organized by UMW Toyota Motor,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor.
“The enthusiastic fans were eagerly awaiting the launch of the model and wasted no time booking one right after we launched the car on December 17, 2020. And now, just over a month since its launch, we received such overwhelming response. We thank customers for their enthusiastic support,” he said.
The world’s most powerful 3-cylinder engine (261 bhp/360 Nm) and the lightest and smallest 1.6-litre turbo unit currently in production. It comes only with a 6-speed manual transmission and the new GR-Four 4-wheel drive system.
Available only from exclusive dealers
Priced from RM286,896 (excluding insurance, roadtax and sales tax exemption), the GR Yaris has been offered only through a limited number of dealerships in Malaysia which have the GR Garage. This is a dedicated sales channel for GR products such as the GR Supra, GR Yaris and Vios GR-Sport as well as performance items.
Explaining the GR brand, Akio Takeyama, UMW Toyota Motor’s Deputy Chairman and GAZOO Racing Malaysia’s Chief Motorsports Officer, said: “The GR brand harnesses the experience gained by pushing the limits in motorsport and applies it to a whole new generation of high-performance cars from Toyota. The result is models like the GR Yaris that are fine examples of how we are making ever-better cars that are rewarding and fun to drive. Further to that, we are also more than pleased that we will be introducing even more GR models to the in the near future.”
Will there by additional units?
While each of the units imported to date now has an owner, there is a hint that some more might be available as Mr. Ravindran suggested that ‘keen parties continue to register their interest with our GR Garage Dealers nationwide’.
For information on the GR Garage network and GR products, visit toyota.com.my/tgrmalaysia/gr garage/.
